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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23938870">puppy pile</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/IvyPrincess/pseuds/IvyPrincess'>IvyPrincess</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>just a thought [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Drabble, Fluff, Gen, No Angst, Sleepy Cuddles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2019-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2019-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:35:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>970</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23938870</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/IvyPrincess/pseuds/IvyPrincess</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>just a thought [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1722790</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>puppy pile</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>None of them speak much on the ride back, exhaustion fogging up inside the van and weighing heavy against their slumped shoulders. It doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone that Mark is sheepishly waiting in front of the door when they make their weary trudge up the stairs, nor does it surprise them when Chenle lets out a quiet (for him) cheer, immediately latching onto the older boy’s shoulders. They file into the dorm, dropping backpacks and stepping out of shoes before collapsing in heaps across the couches in the living room.</p><p>Renjun disappears into one of the bedrooms, reappearing with armfuls of blanket, while Jeno and Jisung drag the coffee table off to one side, leaving enough room for Donghyuck to roll straight off the couch onto Mark, who merely grunts as Hyuck lands on his stomach and repositions himself to wrap an arm around his assailant. Jaemin’s wrapped all four limbs around Chenle, both of them squashed uncomfortably into the small loveseat but neither willing to move as they attempt to meld into a single being, Chenle slowly nuzzling against Jaemin’s chin like a sleepy cat.</p><p>This comeback had been hard on them all, hectic scheduling wearing them all down to prominent cheekbones and dark bags under their eyes, but promotions have finally slowed to allow them a brief moment of respite, and they’re making the best of it. Donghyuck especially has been stretched thin between a double schedule, and the boy’s almost completely knocked out from Mark’s gentle hands ruffling through his hair and stroking down his back. </p><p>Renjun drops a blanket on top of them, tossing over the rest to Jeno and Jisung who have settled below the foot of the loveseat snuggled up next to each other, just close enough for Jaemin to run one hand along the tops of their heads and just far enough that Chenle narrowly misses kicking Jisung in the face as he shifts around beneath a blanket. Renjun himself scoots under his blanket with Mark and Donghyuck, who is already asleep and snuffling lightly, too tired to even snore. Mark and Renjun exchange a wry glance before Mark reaches out for Renjun’s hand with his own, the one that isn’t currently entangled in Hyuck’s hair. Renjun slots their fingers together before snuggling closer, comforted in the knowledge that he can still reach out to prod Jeno with one foot. </p><p>As night falls, NCT Dream’s breathing collectively evens out, and the sun quietly sets, taking the last of the weight on their shoulders with its departure.</p><hr/><p>Mark blinks away the sting behind his eyes that comes with the feeling of having slept too long and too little at the same time to a room shrouded in darkness. There’s a stickiness on his neck where Donghyuck’s drool has dried, and his arm is numb from where it’s being used as a pillow under Renjun’s head. The rest of his members are sprawled out equally haphazardly, Chenle having slid out of Jaemin’s lap at some point during the night to land in a crumpled heap of blankets and limbs, arms wrapped tightly around another lump Mark can only assume is Jisung, judging by the lanky legs entangled with Jeno’s, whose face is buried in Renjun’s armpit, bringing everything back full circle like a dozing ouroboros of NCT members.</p><p>Mark slowly reclaims his arm from under Renjun, carefully cradling the back of his head as he moves away. Renjun doesn’t seem to wake at all, stirring just enough to shift diagonally, nose to nose with Jeno and legs haphazardly laid on top of Donghyuck. </p><p>Mark finally eases his way out from underneath his best friend, pillowing some of the blanket underneath his head before standing up and wincing as his back pops in multiple places. He’ll regret napping like this in the morning, but a brief respite with the people he’s sorely missed is well worth whatever discomfort he’s got coming for him later.</p><p>There’s a rustle of blankets from across the room. “Leaving already?” A hoarse sleep-drunk whisper floats across the darkness as Jaemin pokes his head out from the little nest of blankets he’s made for himself on the sofa. </p><p>Mark nods, patting himself down to check for his keys, before realizing Jaemin can’t see him in the dark. “Yeah,” he replies quietly, his voice cracking in the middle. “We’ve got practice in the morning. I’ll see you sometime, tell the others I missed them.” He steps slowly over the members laid out on the floor, taking care to not trod on a wayward limb or any fingers. </p><p>As he walks towards the door, an arm quickly reaches out and grabs him by the wrist. “Come back soon?” Jaemin murmurs, and Mark hesitates. Something in him melts at the unspoken acknowledgement that yes, they’ve missed him just as much, and he can’t help but bend down to brush his lips against Jaemin’s hair. Mark’s not usually one for any display of affection, and he knows Jaemin realizes that too as he starts in surprise. But as inviting as it sounds to just drop everything and cram himself into the loveseat next to Jaemin, he really does have to go.</p><p>“Soon,” Mark acquiesces regretfully, walking away. As he reaches the front door, he turns around one last time. Jaemin’s wedged himself in between Renjun and Donghyuck on the floor, judging by the sleepy complaints of forced relocation quickly dying down from the living room, and some pressure behind Mark’s eyes eases further as he imagines what it’ll be like when they all wake up in a tangled clump tomorrow morning.</p><p><em> Soon</em>, he repeats to himself as he slips on his shoes and quietly closes the door behind him, lips softly turning up at the corners. He couldn’t stay away if he tried.</p>
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